Les contes du Château des Délices (Tales of the Chateau of Delights) is one of those rare treats, a wordless, timeless, beautifully-drawn picture book which allows the reader’s imagination to wander through the images and enjoy the simple pleasures of the book’s two main protagonists, brunette Laila la Rossa (she’s the one with the heart tattooed on her left buttock) and blonde Virginie de Lilly. Through the eight short episodes we share all manner of delights, in each other, in their range of guests, and in the gardens and surroundings of their luxurious castle.

Château des Délices appeared in French, Dutch and English, though actually needing no translation. The imprint, Editions Loempia (Dutch for Indonesian-style spring roll), suggests that this is ‘Collection Aphrodite No. 1’, but there never was a No. 2.